


Between The Raindrops

by batsy_rocks



Category: DCU, Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: Angst, Batman & Superboy bonding, Clones, Daddy Issues, Dysfunctional Family, Dysfunctional Relationships, Emotional Hurt, Family Drama, Father Figures, Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Mentors, One Shot Collection, Or as close to comfort as Batman can get, Season/Series 01, Superboy Feels, Unconventional Families, awkward interaction, if an alíen superhero and his clone fit into that category
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-03-10
Updated: 2016-06-21
Packaged: 2018-01-15 07:51:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 14,745
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1297138
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/batsy_rocks/pseuds/batsy_rocks
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Superman wants nothing to do with Superboy. Batman is Superman's best friend -at least according to everyone but Batman- and one of Superboy's mentors on the team. Batman seems like the best candidate to help solve the issue. Except he didn't expect certain... <i>things</i> to happen in the process.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Hurt

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Young Justice or any of its characters. Really, I don't.

Superboy stood there, hands curled into fists as he watched Superman fly away. Away from _him_.

"He doesn't mean to hurt you."

A deep familiar voice called behind him a moment later, making Superboy tear his gaze away from the blue sky. There was no sight of Superman now.

"Superman." Batman added at the clone's silence. "He doesn't act that way to hurt you."

Superboy blinked at him. He wasn't sure if he was supposed to answer Batman, and if he did, he wasn't sure _how_. First of all, because he wasn't sure if he believed him, but mostly because knowing _that_ didn't make Superman's indifference hurt any less. He said nothing, waiting for Batman to say something else or just disappear as he always did.

"Superman spent his entire life knowing himself the last of his kind. He came to terms with the fact he would never meet someone like him a long time ago." Batman paused, watching Superboy's eyebrows furrow as the clone absorbed the information he was giving him. "And then you showed up. Not only a Kryptonian, but a clone. Someone that looks just like him. Someone that was made to replace him." He purposely left out the killing part. It wouldn't do any good to bring that up right now.

Superboy shifted his gaze away from Batman.

"That doesn't mean Superman is right on acting like a _petty child_ instead of the _responsible_ adult he's supposed to be."

Despite of his instinctive anger at the insult against Superman, Superboy couldn't stop the warm feeling that expanded in his chest, flooding him with all sorts of strange emotions he didn't know the name of. Hearing someone as important as Batman showing his disagreement with the way Superman was ignoring him was... It was _overwhelming_.

"What do _I_ do?" Superboy whispered without meeting Batman's eyes. Who better to tell him what to do to make Superman like him than the man's best friend?

"Nothing." Batman's unintentionally harsh tone made Superboy flinch away. In a softer tone he added, "There's nothing you can do to rush Superman into making a decision. At least not the one you want. The only thing you can do is be patient."

Superboy sighed deeply, doing his best not to get angry at Batman. That didn't help him. _At all_. That was exactly what everyone tells him and what he had been doing since the moment he had come here. Be patient. Wait for Superman to even _acknowledge_ his presence. To look him in the eye for more than two seconds.

He could see that was not the answer Superboy had been hoping for. Could see the momentary glimpse of vulnerability in his face melt away, giving way to his usual hard and angry expression.

In a rare moment of hesitation, Batman stayed where he was. The easiest thing to do would be let things like that. Turn around and let Superboy to his own thoughts. It's what he _should_ do.

"I don't know what Superman's decision would be," Batman started, drawing the clone's attention back to him. "But what I _do_ know is that _you're_ part of this team now, and that as long as protect the innocent and fight crime remains as your priorities, you'll have a place here."

Batman didn't give Superboy a chance to reply, turning around to walk away as soon as he finished speaking.

He had a place where he belonged. Batman had said that. Gaze softening, Superboy followed Batman's retreating back until the man was almost out of sight, flickering his gaze back to the skyline where Superman had disappeared just moments ago, just for a second, before following Batman.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Long notes are long, but well...
> 
> Am I the only one craving Batman/Superboy mentor-ish friendly interaction? Because seriously, I _totally_ am. I'm going to be honest with you guys. I have a very basic canon knowledge (I have only seen scraps of episodes, and yeah, watching them all is on my to-do list. Which is way too long right now) but enough to know of the Superman/Superboy issue and Batman's intervention too. So here I am, getting plot bunnies _and_ writing them.
> 
> Basically, I _love_ Batman. And I love an universe where he interacts with kids and -without really being sure at this point for the reason mentioned above- is good with them. But especially Superboy. For some reason.
> 
> I have a few other ideas in my head, but I'm unsure about posting them just yet. I would very much appreciate any feedback; both on if you would like to read more and the characterization and tone of the fic. Or even Superboy-Batman prompts of thing you'd like to see. All gen, of course.
> 
> Lastly, I'm not English native speaker and this is unbetaed, so feel very much free to point out any mistakes/misspellings you find. I would appreciate.


	2. Super Hearing

Bruce stood in the doorway, brown eyes narrowed and cowl tilted ever so slightly to the side as he took in the sight before him.

Superboy was sitting on the couch in the entertainment room, elbows resting on his knees and head cradled between his hands. The TV was turned on, but the clone didn't seem to be paying attention to it. Just as he wasn't paying attention to his surroundings, since he hadn't noticed Batman's presence.

"Superboy." Bruce made his usual growl softer as to not startle him. He needn't have bothered. The sudden noise still made Superboy jump, turning to the side to look at him, eyes wary. "What are you doing here?"

The clone fidgeted in his seat, fighting the urge to get up and stand straight to face Batman. He was allowed _anywhere_ on the mountain. Red Tornado and Black Canary had told him that, so he shouldn't be in trouble fro being here. He reached for the remote, turning the TV off. "I- uh, I couldn't sleep."

Bruce narrowed his eyes behind the white lenses of his cowl. He waited, his gaze never leaving the clone, making it clear he was expecting a better answer than that.

Superboy lowered his eyes, brow furrowed deeply as he glared at the floor. He should have stayed in his room, just like always. But with M'gann away from Mount Justice for the night, he thought he could stay here without being bothered. He hadn't expected Batman to stay here so late and he had- _other_ _things_ on his mind other than check if the place was really empty. Aside from Red Tornado.

"It's my super hearing." Superboy admitted grudgingly after long time, knowing Batman wasn't going to leave. "It's- I can't control it fully sometimes."

Bruce's eyes narrowed further as he pressed his lips into a thin line, barely stopping himself from striding toward the clone and demand to know why he had withheld that information from them.

"What is _that_ supposed to mean?" He growled at last, taking slow, measured steps toward him.

"It's not- I'm not putting _anyone_ at risk! I'm not! It's never happened while we are fighting or training." Superboy looked at Batman pleadingly, knowing the man could pull him out of the team without hesitation. He added in a lower tone, "It only happens when I go to sleep. I can control it as long as I'm awake. _I_ can do it!"

It made sense, Bruce thought as he watched him. While he was awake, even subconsciously, there was a part of his brain that kept control of his hearing; that filtered the sounds. But when he fell into a deep sleep, even that part of his brain relaxed, tampering with the mechanism. It was... _fascinating_. But also a problem.

"How long has this been happening?" Bruce asked after a moment of silence, looking at him straight in the eye.

Superboy considered lying for a moment before discarding it. He was _The_ Batman. He would know if Superboy was lying. "Almost since I came here. But it doesn't happen every day," he added as an afterthought.

Bruce's eyebrows furrowed behind the cowl as he looked at Superboy. _This_ was exactly why a reliable, thoughtful mentor was important. _Necessary._ Even if Superboy hadn't spoken about this, the clone's mentor would have noticed something was wrong. If the clone even had a real mentor. He knew he would have noticed before if it had been Dick. He scowled quietly. Stupid hard-headed Kryptonian.

He racked his brain, trying to remember if Clark had ever mentioned something similar to this but came up with nothing. He would need to call him as soon as he got to the cave. Ask -more like order- him to come over if he wasn't too busy. And if Clark didn't have an answer perhaps they could install low-intensity red sun lamps on Superboy's room. That should help control his hearing while he slept.

"It's not a big deal." Superboy blurted out to fill the silence, shifting uncomfortably under Batman's deep gaze. "I don't need much sleep anyway."

" _It is_ a big deal. And we'll find a way to fix it." Bruce watched a look of relief cross the clone's face at his words, yet there was a soft glimpse of sorrow in his blue eyes. It wasn't hard to know _who_ had caused that reaction.

"Follow me." Bruce instructed, turning to leave the room without waiting to see if Superboy would follow him. He knew he would.

Superboy followed the dark figure in bewilderment; dread filled him with every step he took. Batman said he would help him, right? So he wouldn't pull him out of the team or dispose of him. Would he?

Bruce guided Superboy to the training room, turning around to watch the clone hovering hesitantly just by the entryway, without making any move to step inside.

"Exhausting yourself both mentally and physically might help you get a few more hours of sleep at least." Or so Bruce hoped. It was worth a try either way. And it could also help pull the clone's thoughts away from the hearing issue. _And_ the Superman one too. At least for the time being.

Superboy stepped slowly inside, looking warily at Batman as he came to stand before him.

Bruce gave a curt nod, motioning for Superboy to follow his lead. "Alright. Let's start with the warm-up routine."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was a bit unsure on whether or not I should have Bruce thinking of Superboy as 'the clone', but considering this wasn't too long after they found him I think it was in character. I would like to know what you all think about it!
> 
> I'm not an expert on Superman/Superboy powers so I pretty much went along with what made sense to me here (about Superboy losing control of his hearing while sleeping and Batman's idea about exhaustion helping him sleep), so I hope it does to you too. I also don't have a specific reason for Bruce to be at Mount Justice so late, except because I needed him there. So for the purpose of this story he was fixing, upgrading or just doing something Bat-like in there ;)
> 
> And of course, thank you all for the kudos and to for [Lurker_in_the_Dark](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Lurker_in_the_Dark/pseuds/Lurker_in_the_Dark) being my first comment!


	3. Name

"Superboy," Batman acknowledged the clone with a short nod as he made his way inside Mount Justice.

"It's Conner." Superboy blurted out, brow furrowed as he looked at a spot behind Batman's right shoulder. "My name is Conner," he murmured.

Bruce's eyes narrowed as he looked at Sup- _Conner_. Dick had been urging him to at least convince Clark to give Superboy a name for a while now, but with the Kryptonian refusing to say more than a word to his clone and the almost _palpable_ awkwardness that radiated from him whenever he was near Superboy, that had proven impossible. In fact, he probably should have become suspicious when Dick stopped asking. It was just like him to take matters into his own hands, Bruce thought wryly.

Superboy pressed his lips together, shifting on his feet. Why hadn't Robin told Batman? Robin had spent the whole day yesterday popping up out of nowhere everywhere he went, telling everyone his name was Conner and correcting them when they called him Superboy. Batman hadn't come to the mountain yesterday, but Robin was his partner, so he would have seen him at some point, wouldn't he?

"I- the others thought I should have a name." It wasn't a lie. Robin and Kid Flash had been the most insistent about it, but M'gann had brought it up too and the others had agreed. "They said Superboy is just a persona, and that I need a real name."

"I see." Batman replied, giving a curt nod. "And what do _you_ think about it?"

Superboy blinked, taken aback by the question _. No one_ had asked him that. And, he certainly hadn't been expecting Batman to be the first on doing so.

"I- I don't know." Brow furrowed, he took a moment to consider the question carefully. Batman wouldn't be asking if he didn't want an answer. A _good_ answer. "It's okay, I guess. I know names are important here on Earth, I just don't understand why it's important that I have one when I don't know Robin or Kid Flash's names."

Bruce regarded Superboy for a moment, pleasantly surprised by the clo- boy's answer.

"I know it's important that they keep their identities a secret. Robin explained it to me," Superboy added after a moment of silence. "I just don't understand _why_ they want to call me Conner instead of just Superboy."

"You should ask them." Batman said gruffly, but not unkindly. For one thing, his teammates would do a much better job of explaining and reassuring the boy than him, and it would be better for Superboy to hear it from them.

Superboy nodded slowly. He hadn't thought about just asking them that. Mainly because he hadn't even considered _his_ thoughts about being given a name in the first place. He had only shrugged and said it was okay when they asked him if he liked the name Conner.

Bruce took in Superboy's clenched fists at his sides, the hard crease between his eyebrows as he stood before him. The self-conscious way in which he was holding himself. Uncertain. Silence. Waiting. Risking quick, expectant looks at him. Looking for Batman's approval. _Or_ his disapproval. _Anything_. Bruce stayed silent a moment longer. Superboy wanted _Superman's_ acknowledgment; his approval, but Batman's was the closest thing he could get. At least for now.

"Did you pick it out yourself?"

Superboy's head snapped up at the words, bright blue eyes blinking at Batman. A faint glimmer of hope flickering in his eyes.

'Conner. You look like a Conner. Nice to meet you Conner' That was what Robin had declared as soon as Superboy had pulled the door of his room open to find the smaller boy grinning at him, dark sunglasses hiding his eyes.

"I- no." Superboy shook his head. "Robin helped." He said quietly, hoping it was okay for him to tell Batman that. Robin hadn't said anything about not telling him, though. And Batman didn't look mad.

Bruce dipped his cowled head in acknowledgment, suppressing a smirk. He was sure Robin had done more than merely _help_ with that. He couldn't deny the apprehension he felt at the quick way Dick had not only accepted Superboy, but also the slow but easy way in which he was bonding with him. But then again, that was just Dick being his usual bright, cheerful likeable self. And with Superman ignoring Superboy, Dick had just made it his duty to make it up to the other boy on his own way.

The only noise Superboy caught as Batman walked away was the low hiss the cloth of his cape made with the movement, leaving him looking after the Dark Knight with a frown on his face.

"Conner," Batman called back without turning around, watching Superboy's head snap up out of the corner of his eye. "Don't forget to report to the gym for your training session in 42 minutes."

Superboy blinked at him. Watching Batman still there, he shook his head. "No. I mean, I won't."

Batman left the room without a word, the corner of his lips lifted up just slightly. He would have to ask Dick if he had helped Superboy pick up a last name too. He was going to need one when he started working on the papers that would make Conner an official U.S. citizen. He was sure Dick would be _delighted_ to help him with that too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's M'gann and J'onn who give Superboy his name in cannon, but the idea of Robin doing it was too cute and fitting to pass up. I think Robin taking a special friendly/brotherly interest in Superboy could at least in part explain Batman's willingness to engagen in Superboy's life too. At least in my head. 
> 
> Also, I probably should have pointed out before that this fic don't have a linear narrative exactly, since I'm writing and posting chapters as the ideas come to me. So yeah, just thought I should let you guys know.
> 
> The next chapter would have Superman making an appearance, so I'm sure you can imagine how that will go...


	4. Superman

Sitting on his bed, Superboy closed his eyes as he concentrated on his super hearing. He didn't have to close his eyes to do it, but he found it was better while he practice. Eyebrows furrowed, he worked on blocking out the background noise inside the mountain, focusing only on one place: The lounge.

" _Dude!_ You just ate the last cookie! That's not cool."

_"Dude!_ You ate _all_ of the cookies Agent A sent to the whole team. How's that cool?"

"I was hungry. Besides, they were soooo good."

Superboy's hearing shifted then, the other noises in the mountain reducing the conversation between Robin and Kid Flash to nothing more than intelligible murmurs. He wasn't supposed to be eavesdropping the others anyway. He shifted his hearing away from them, catching a buzzing sound he remembered having heard before, and a moment later the faint sound of a female voice humming and murmuring quietly; M'gann. Now that he thought about it, that sound was from one of the machines from the kitchen. A mixer. Yes, that's what she had called it.

He blinked blue eyes open, surprised to realize he had been listening to M'gann moving around the kitchen for a while now. Abashed, the clone forced his super hearing away from the kitchen.

"... Teach him."

Superboy paused, recognizing Batman's voice. If he wasn't supposed to be eavesdropping the team, he _definitely_ shouldn't hear Batman's conversation either. He really didn't want to get in trouble with him. Batman might be just a human,-even if Superboy wasn't entirely sure he believed that yet-but the man was still intimidating.

"I don't think that's a good idea."

_Superman._ That was _Superman's_ voice. Superboy frozen, his eyes flying open. Superman was here, in Mount Justice.

"Superboy's powers are here where _you_ like it or not. Ignoring them isn't going to change that. You've seen him out in the field. You know he doesn't have full reign of his powers."

Heart beating faster, Superboy never had wished more for Superman's x-ray vision. He sat still, waiting.

"At this point we can't be sure if he's truly on our side. I don't think we should give him the tools to beat us later."

The clone bowed his head, eyes squeezed shut and fists clenched tightly at his sides. A weapon. He was a living weapon and nothing more.

"You don't have to share your secret moves and techniques with him. This is about _teaching_ him the basics of how to handle his powers in order to prevent his lack of experience end up hurting or killing someone. Canary is already training him in hand-to-hand combatant along with the rest of the team, but that's not enough."

Anger bubbled up inside the clone at Batman's words assuring he needed help. He wasn't _stupid_ , he could figure out how to work his powers on his own. Even then, he couldn't help the leap of hope that Batman _might_ convince Superman to train him. Superman thought Batman had his training covered as he had said, but if _Batman_ asked _him_ to train him, maybe Superman would agree. He held his breath, waiting for Superman's answer.

"He's a living weapon created with the sole purpose of taking me out or replace me,-his own words-and now you're _asking_ _me_ to train him."

Superboy swallowed, wanting nothing more that to stop listening to Superman's hurtful words, but he couldn't. He needed to hear this; He needed to understand why Superman couldn't bear to be near him.

"I'm not _asking_ you to do _anything_. I'm telling you Superboy needs help to learn how to control his powers. I'm simply giving you the choice to take charge or take part in his training if you want to."

"I don't... How can _you of all people_ be so calm about this? We don't have all the information about how he was created. What if there's a way he can be controlled we don't know about? What if _whoever_ can control him knows he's here and is just waiting for us to let our guard down to set him against us?"

The clone bit his lip, clenched fists shaking slightly. _No one_ had told him that to his face so ruthlessly, but he knew they were all worried about that, even the team. _He_ was worried about the possibility that at some point he could end up hurting M'gann. The whole team and even the mentors too. Superman was right about no wanting him close. He was _dangerous_.

"We have as much information as it was available to us. I don't like it, but is what we have. With Superboy's consent, J'onn scanned his mind without finding sigh of any kind of control. There's _nothing_ we can do other than be prepared. _It is_ still a possibility, and if it happens, we'll deal with it. Just like we have every time you have been mind controlled."

Superboy's head snapped up, wide eyes looking at the wall before him as if he could see through it. From the other's stories, he had heard about Superman being mind controlled before, but he had never considered the parallels with his own situation.

"You- It's not the same."

" _Isn't it?_ Being mind controlled means yours thought, behavior, emotions and decisions are controlled by an outside source. I frankly don't see a difference with what you're suggesting regarding Superboy. 80% of the time you get mind controlled you go after me, and every time you have done it, you have fought me just as hard as you fight any of your opponents. It doesn't matter if you know me; you fight me because that's what the villain in turn forced you to do."

"Bru- B, I'm sor-"

He could hear true regret in Superman's voice. Batman may not show it, but everyone saw him and Superman as good friends. It made Superboy angry sometimes. Jealous. That Batman had connected with Superman like that while Superboy couldn't even say more than two words to him. It wasn't fair.

"I didn't tell you this to get an apology for something you had no control over, but because you need to put Superboy's situation into perspective."

"We've talked about this."

"I know. And maybe I was wrong when I told you to act like a father. I understand it's not that simple. But the rest, everything I told you is true. Superboy needs _you_ to stop _ignoring_ him. He needs _you_ to stop _running away_ from him and be _something_ in his life."

A father. The word echoed in Superboy's head over and over. It had never occurred to him to link that word with Superman. Mentor, master, predecessor... and so many other words had, but not- not the word Batman had used.

"You're right. I know you're right, I just... I _can't_ do it."

"I understand, but I think you're making a mistake. And I hope you realize that before Superboy gets tired of waiting for you to at least acknowledge him."

Superboy blinked, looking down at his hands now resting on his lap. This was too much. He wasn't sure how to feel right now.

"That's all I wanted to discuss. You can leave."

" _B..._ "

"I'm busy, that's why I asked you to come here. Canary and I are already developing a training program to start working with Superboy as soon as possible, but we needed to know your position on the matter before moving forward."

"You and Canary are going to train him."

"... Yes."

"It could be dangerous."

"I think Canary and I have showed we're both capable of handling ourselves around _metas_."

"I know, but this is different. This is _someone_ that doesn't know how to control powers like my own, using them against you. He could hurt you. Or Canary."

Superboy furrowed his brow, lips pressed together. What if Superman was right? He didn't want to hurt Canary or Batman, but he was starting to think maybe he did need help with his powers. The obvious solution would be if _Superman_ accepted to train him-with him being invulnerable and all that-but it was clear that _wasn't_ an option to Superman.

"That's why teaching him to handle them correctly is so important. And you should know Canary and I are well aware of the possible magnitude of his powers. That's why we're working on a special training program for him. Besides, you should have a little bit more faith in Superboy. As I said, Canary has been training with him and hasn't been hurt."

The silence this time was longer. If it wasn't because Superboy could hear the faith sound of their breathing, he would have thought his super hearing had shifted again.

"I- I'll see you later in the Watchtower."

The soft whooshing noise that announced Superman's departure was heard just a moment later, followed by the already familiar sound of typing. Batman's steady, and fast typing.

Superboy stayed where he was, sitting on the edge of his bed. He worked on blocking out any sound and trying not to think about what he heard. Or anything else.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bruce's position here pretty much reflects my personal opinion in the Superboy/Superman issue, so I hope he doesn't come as too OOC to you all. Basically, I don't feel like getting into the 'Superman is an idiot, let's all hate on him' mode because I don't think it's fair. Don't get me wrong, I don't like the way he acted toward Superboy, and I think he made a big mistake with the way he handled-or not-the issue, but given the circunstancess I think it's understable. At least a bit.
> 
> It is also my own opinion that Bruce made a mistake telling Clack that Superboy needed his father. Not because he wasn't right about it, but because it didn't seem like a very smart move if he was trying to make Clark stop running away from Superboy. Clark is having enough trouble accepting he now have a clone as it is, and then he's asked to act as his father. I guess Bruce was aiming to reach the goody boy scout, farm boy in him, but I still think it was a mistake. I know the situation is very different, but I don't think Bruce thought of ever acting as a father figure to Dick when he become his ward, so given his personal experience I would have expect him to have a little bit more of tact than that. Also, the chapters aren't in chronological order, so Superboy doesn't have a name yet here.
> 
> Anyway, let me know what you think, not only about the fic, but the Superman/Suerboy issue too! Also, thanks to everyone still reading! I hope this chapter was good enough to be worth the long wait to you all!


	5. Broken

He probably wouldn't have learned about the incident if he hadn't overheard Barry speaking to Ollie about it only minutes after he arrived to the Watchtower. Batman had been injured during today's training session with the children, nothing serious, but enough to require medical attention. Or at least that's what Wally told his uncle.

Clark didn't approach his colleagues to ask more about the situation, instead flying straight to the Zeta-Beam tubes to be transported to Mount Justice.

He didn't visit the mountain often, but even he could tell the place was strangely quiet as he got out of the Zeta-Beam tubes. Clark flew down to the third level, hearing the soft murmur of conversation down there.

Robin and Superboy were the first he spotted, sitting side by side on the couch in the entertainment room, both silent and still. Superboy was the first to notice him, gaze slowly flickering his way.

Superboy looked toward the doorway when he saw movement out of the corner of his eye, expecting to see Canary or M'gann _again_ telling him this hadn't been his fault. He froze as he caught sight of _Superman_ hovering there and staring at him. He swallowed, dropping his gaze to the floor.

Clark didn't miss the way the clone slumped in his seat, making his eyes narrow. He was sure he hadn't imagined the _guilt_ in the clone's eyes. He gave Dick a nod and a small smile as the boy's head came up too, but he was saved from having to approach them when a female voice called behind him.

"Superman."

Clark turned to meet Canary's eyes, giving her a small polite nod.

While Canary wasn't as outspoken as Batman (but then again, _who_ was?) about the- issue with Superboy, it was no secret she did not approve of the way he was handling things with the clone. After all, she had no problem showing her disagreement with cold, hard glares and pursed lips, as well as speaking to him with polite reserve, and only when she had to.

Because of that, he went straight to the point. "What happened to Batman?"

"He hurt his hand during today's training session." Canary said plainly, trying to get Superman away from Superboy as soon as possible. A visit from Superman was the _last_ thing Conner nedded right now. "He's at the med-bay with Red Tornado."

"Thank you."

Canary turned toward the entertainment room as soon as Superman flew away, the corners of her mouth slowly curling into a small, fond smile as he saw Robin put a hand on Superboy's shoulder.

Clark reached the med-bay in a few seconds. He looked to where Red Tornado was gathering medical supplies, giving the robot a small nod before turning his eyes to Bruce.

He was sitting on a chair, armor still in place minus the gauntlet on his left hand. A dark cast was covering that hand, the last three fingers and wrist immobilized with it. Superman scanned the hand, finding five broken bones in it before doing a full body scan. He found nothing that couldn't be explained by Batman's usual patrol; a couple of bruised ribs were there, as well as a handful of contusions all over his body.

"Stop _scanning_ me." Batman growled without turning around.

Superman waited until Red Tornado left the room before speaking to the dark figure. "What happened."

Batman looked up at Superman as he came to stand before him, eyes narrowed behind the white lenses of his cowl. "An _accident_ , that's what happened. But I'm sure Canary told you that already."

"It was him, wasn't it?"

"The word 'accident' implies there's no one to blame, as you know well. So no, it wasn't _Conner'_ s fault. But if you want to blame someone, blame me."

"He _crushed_ your hand and you're telling me it was your fault?"

Bruce snorted as he rose from the chair he had been sitting in. He hated having Clark towering over him. "Don't be melodramatic. My hand is fine. And I only said you can blame me since you're so dead set on finding someone to blame. I should have been more careful."

Clark said nothing to that. He had known letting Batman and Canary in charge of Superboy's training was a bad idea. The clone clearly didn't have the faintest control of his strength, and his bad temper was bound to flare at any moment against whoever was around. In fact, he was surprised it had taken this long for someone to get hurt because of him.

He couldn't let him hurt Batman again. Or anyone else. Even if that meant he had to take charge of the clone's training. But first he needed to talk to him; make him see how serious what he had done had been.

"Don't even think about it." Batman growled, glaring at Superman. "You're not going out there to berate him for something he already feels _guilty_ about."

"I think I should talk to him. He doesn't- "

"No. You don't get to decide what you want to get involved in and what you don't. The moment you decided not to take part in Connor's life was the moment you gave up the right to storm in here and scold him for something you think he did wrong. If you-"

" _I_ think he did wrong? He _hurt_ you! How's that not wrong."

"It was an accident, for god's sake! Things like this happen all the time when you're training. I've been hurt training with Robin before and you know it."

"Except Robin never broke five of your bones with his bare hands."

Bruce took a breath before reaching for the discarded gauntlet on the table at his side, taking it in his right hand before walking away without another word.

"What if he had broken Di- Robin's hand?" Clark called softly, making Bruce stop but not turn back.

"I would be angry." Worried. Guilty. Livid. Shaken. Afraid. Like every time Dick had been hurt before. "But I would understand it was an accident, because I've seen how much effort Conner is putting on his training. How hard he's trying to keep control of his temper." Bruce turned his head back, looking at Clark straight in the eye. "I would be out there telling him _is not his fault_. Just like Robin has been doing now."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First off, I want to thank the [guest](https://www.fanfiction.net/r/9819931/4/1/) who left the last review, because his/her prompt inspired me to finally write more of this serie. I can honesly say this wrote itself. Seriously anon, thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review, but mostly for your wonderful promt that put me finally back in the game. I hope you liked this and don't mind I put both ideas in this one-shot. I might be doing another one with Bruce getting hurt at some point, but can't make any promises ;)
> 
> To anyone still reading, I'm really sorry for the long wait. As I said when I started posting this fic, I do have a few ideas in my head, I do. The thing is, they just wouldn't get written. I'm going to be honest and say I write when I truly want to do it, and not when I feel like I should, which is why my updating is so sporadic. I hope that after this, I can get back to writing more for this serie, because I truly love it. But beyond that, thank you so much for all the reviews and favoriting, guys. You're so awesome! *hugs*
> 
> I was actually hoping to get this out yesterday to celebrate Batman's day, but well. Happy belated Batman day everyone!
> 
> Lastly, you're welcome to leave prompts and ideas (hurt!Conner, cute Robin convincing Batman to let Superboy into the Batcave, and Batman/Superboy training are already in my head, though) I can't promise I would write any or all of them, but maybe one of them would light the spark for a new shot like this one did.


	6. Money

Eyes fixed on the cell phone between his hands, Robin walked through the hallways of Mount Justice. He was on his way to the lounge room when he noticed movement out of the corner of his eye. He glanced up, an easy smile immediately lighting up his face when he noticed who was there.  
   
"Hey, Supey. You okay?"  
   
Superboy flickered his eyes to the side briefly before looking back at Robin with a severe look. "I want to ask you something."  
   
"Sure. What's up?"  
   
"You know Batman."  
   
Dick lifted an eyebrow behind his dark sunglasses. _That_ was unexpected. "Yup. I do."  
   
"The others say you have worked with him for a long time." The clone paused, waiting until the smaller boy nodded before continuing. "They say you know him really well."  
   
Head tilted to the side and eyes narrowed slightly, Dick studied the other boy's face for a moment.  
   
"Ah, I guess."  
   
They fell silent, then, both standing in the middle of the rocky hallway. Superboy's brow was furrowed as he glared at the floor, hands clenched into fists at his sides. Dick bit his lip to stop himself from speaking, hands fidgeting with the cell phone he was holding. Being patient wasn't something he was very good at.

The small chiming noise coming from his phone seemed to pull Superboy out of his thoughts. Dick ignored it. It was from Babs, he knew. They had been texting each other.  
   
"Kid Flash told me Batman sent the money to buy my clothes."  
   
"Oh." Robin nodded slowly. "That should be right."  
   
He remembered the days Superboy had spent at Wally's house while they all waited for Batman's verdict on whether or not they were allowed to work together as a team. Of course Bruce wasn't just going to leave the Wests' the sole responsibility of Superboy, even if he only helped monetarily.  
   
The clone's brow furrowed deeper as he looked down at Robin. "You didn't know."  
   
Dick shrugged nonchalantly, a smirk on his face. "He didn't tell me, but it makes sense. Batman always thinks of everything."  
   
And that was true. Between the punishment for his disobedience and other misdeeds, (after a very long and eloquent scolding/lecture from both Bruce _and_ Batman, and with a few proper remarks from Alfred) and all the worry and nervous energy coursing through his body while Batman pretty much locked himself up in the cave for 72 hours, he really hadn't thought much about Superboy, much less what he could need.  
   
Trust Batman to think of the smallest details even when he was keeping an eye in Gotham and the rest of the world, investigating CADMUS and the Project Kr, keeping up with Wayne Enterprises and deliberating about the future of 4 young protégés of members of the Justice League.  
   
Yep. That was the goddamn Batman.  
   
"Why?"  
   
"Why is he always thinking of everything? ’Cause he's Batman." Dick's trademark smirk widened.  
   
Superboy shook his head, face starting to twist in anger. "No. Why did he send the money?"  
   
"Uh, because you need money to buy stuff?" Dick sighed softly, taking pity on Superboy's super confused expression. "You only had that white suit you were wearing when we found you, and it was already ripped so you couldn't keep using it. You're also a lot bigger than Wally so he couldn't just lend you some of his own clothes and you really needed clothes."  
   
"But why?" The clone demanded, an almost desperate note in his voice. He was getting nowhere but there wasn't anyone else he could ask. Other than Batman, that is. But he didn't want to ask him. Batman was very intimidating, even if everyone said he was human.  
   
"You mean besides knowing you were going to need it?" Superboy nodded energetically, relief flashing across his face at finally being understood. "Well. Batman is ...  He's not very good with _words_. And he can be kinda scary most of the time. And seem like he's always mad. But he really, really likes to help people. So he helps them in any way he can.  
   
"Send you money was a way he could help you then, so he did it."  
   
The clone stood silent, looking at Robin.  
   
"I guess it was kind of an apology too. For calling you 'it' when he first saw you."  
   
That was a bit of a white lie. Dick was like 80% sure Batman still thought of Superboy that way, but what Bruce didn't know wouldn't hurt him, and Supes  Junior looked like he really could use some positive reinforcement right now.  
   
"It's a hum- it's a people thing." Dick paused to gather his thoughts and think of the simplest, easiest way to explain it. "It's very common for people-at least _most_ people-to try to do nice thing for other people, even if they don't really know them."  
   
Superboy wasn't dumb. He understood the words Robin was saying and what they mean, but he couldn't wrap his head around the idea of people doing things for someone without expecting a benefit in exchange. Why would they do that? But most importantly, why had Batman helped him when he was just a weapon to use against Superman? He wasn't even a person. He was a _clone._  
   
Robin opened his mouth to say something else, but just closed it again. Superboy's puzzled and lost expression would have been hilarious if the reason behind it wasn't so sad.  
   
"Dude! What are you guys doing here?" Wally appeared at their sides in the blink of an eye, oblivious to the tense silence between them. "Come! M'gann made cookies and she isn't going to let me eat _any_ of them if you guys aren't there too."  
   
"Hurry up!" Wally called without turning back, already at the other end of the hallway. He was gone in a flash.  
   
Dick smiled tentatively before sneaking a look at Superboy. The frown was gone from his face as he glanced in the direction Wally had disappeared.  
   
"Should we go…?”  
   
“I guess.”  
   
"Come then, Supey. KF is going to come back to drag us if we don't hurry."  
   
Rather than dashing after KF, though, Robin walked at Superboy's side. They didn’t speak again, and for once, Robin though that may be a good thing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much everyone who's keeping up with this fic, even is spite of the long wait between chapters. I'm so glad you guys are enjoying this little fic so far! And thank you too for the prompts you've left me. I will try to come up with something good.
> 
> Also, this chapter was inspired by the Young Justice comic issue #0 "Stopover", so you could say this chapter could be canon, or at least canon compliant.
> 
> If everything goes according to plan the next chapter should have the prompt I mentioned before: Robin trying to convince Batman to let Superboy into the Batcave, so stay tuned.


	7. The Batcave

_"Please,_ B! Don't be like that."   
    
Sitting cross legged on the training mats of the cave after his sparring match with Dick, Bruce brushed the sweat-matted hair away from his forehead with a hand and looked up at his charge. Energy was still coursing through Dick's body even after the strenuous training, evidenced by his inability to sit still. He would have smiled at the sight was it not for the topic of conversation Dick had brought up.   
    
"This matter isn't up for discussion, Dick." He brought the water bottle back to his lips, downing the rest of its continent.   
    
"Aww, but it's just for a little bit," Dick was doing a handstand, walking on his hands all around the mats and circling his mentor. "And only the cave! I will be wearing my mask and suit the whole time. I promise."   
    
Bruce gave him a look that clearly showed just how reassured he was with that promise- which was nothing at all.   
    
"Come on! You let KF into the cave before he knew who I am."   
    
"I did. Under a strict set of rules and after the necessary measures were put in place. And I agreed to it all only because I've known Barry for a long time, as well as Wally. _And,"_ Bruce added a Dick opened his mouth to talk. "Because Kid Flash doesn’t have any powers that could compromise our identities or the location of the cave."   
    
Dick stood before him, looking up at him-or was it down? He was still on a handstand so it was kind of confusing-okay, looking at Bruce's face. "So I'll just tell him he's not allowed to peek."   
    
"Superboy is still learning to control his powers, you know that. He could hear or see something without intending to."   
    
"He doesn't have x-ray vision. You know that, right?"   
    
Dropping out of his handstand, Dick sat down in front of Bruce, his small brow furrowed. "So what if he hears Alfred cooking upstairs or dusting around? It's not a big deal! And there's no way he's going to recognize you if you don't talk with your Bat-growl. You could even stay down here, you know. As Batman. I just thought we could hang out for a bit. And I kind of wanted to show him around the cave too."   
    
Bruce pressed his lips together. He had been wary from the beginning not only of the easy way Dick and the rest of the team were accepting Superboy; but of their quick support and trust- even _protectiveness_ toward him. With so many questions about the clone's origin still open this could be dangerous for all of them.   
    
"I'm not going to change my mind about this, Dick. I'm sorry."   
    
Dick couldn't really say he was surprised by that answer. He had known Bruce for a long time after all. That of course didn't mean he hadn't been hoping for a different answer, or that he liked the one he got. Because he didn't. He didn't like it at all.    
    
"Now you're acting like Uncle Clark."   
    
The almost bitter note in his words made Bruce arch an eyebrow. "I thought we agreed to respect Clark's decision."   
    
The boy sighed after a moment, looking down at his hands resting on his lap. "I know. I just... How can he just reject Superboy like that? Without even speaking to him? It's not fair."   
    
"Very few things are."   
    
"Dick," Bruce started after a moment of silence, waiting until Dick lifted his head, stormy blue eyes meeting his own before speaking. "Please tell me you understand I'm doing what I can to support Superboy. I agreed to help with his training, and allowed him to be part of the team. I even agree to let _you_ be around him, even when I can't be there to protect you if something happens."   
    
"You know I can take care of myself."    
    
The corners of Bruce's lips twitched. He had to admit that among the team, Robin was perhaps the better prepared to deal with Superboy if needed, thanks to the Kryptonite he had forced him to carry in his utility belt. Dick hadn't been happy about that-far from it-but since he had made it a major condition to let him join the team, Dick had grudgingly agreed. But that wasn't enough. There were still so many ways this could go badly for him and the rest of the team.  
   
He said none of that.   
    
"I know you can. That doesn't stop me from worrying about you."   
    
Dick's eyes softened slightly, but the expression on his face didn't waver. "I understand. I really, really do. I just don't like the thought of him staying all alone in the mountain all the time. Especially today when even Miss M isn't there."   
    
"Red Tornado is there."   
    
The young boy cringed slightly. "Well, yeah. And he's great and everything but he's a robot."   
    
Bruce considered that for a second. "If you're concerned about Superboy being alone, you can go spend time with him once you finish helping Alfred."   
    
"Yeaaah, I've done that a couple of times before, but it's not the same. I mean, he hasn't been out of the mountain for anything other than a mission since he stayed at Wally's. Besides, he's been kinda down lately with Superman avoiding him and everything. I think it would be good for him if we show him a bit of trust."   
    
"Allowing Superboy into the cave when even some members of the Justice League hadn't been Invited in yet is more than 'showing a bit of trust.'"   
    
Dick pouted. "You're really going to leave him to stay all alone in Mount Justice."   
    
"I don't trust Superboy. I can't. He's too powerful and there are many things we still don't know about how he was created." Bruce said. "But I'm still giving him a chance. A chance to prove himself."   
    
"I know. And I'm happy about that, but it's not enough. I think he deserves more than that." Dick looked up at his guardian with a pointed glance. "How is he supposed to be anything other than what Cadmus made him out to be if he doesn't even get the chance to get out of the base and interact with people?"    
    
"You’re right," Bruce admitted after a pause.  
    
"You're going to leave him come into the cave then?" Dick hastened to ask, eyes wide.   
    
"No."   
    
"Oh."    
    
"Dick," Bruce sighed softly. "I know you and the rest of the team like and trust him, but you can't expect me to risk our security by allowing him into the cave. But," He added, a hand raised to stop his ward from speaking up. "You can go out with him if you want to."   
    
The acrobat leaned forward, an eager expression on his face. "Out? As in out of the mountain? As in out in the city? Supey and I? Together?"   
    
Bruce gave him a curt nod, evoking a cry of joy from the dark-haired boy before him that almost made his lips twitch. _Almost._ "You know the rules."   
    
"Sir, yes, sir." Dick brought his hand up to his forehead in a military-style salute. "Uh. You don't need me to list them all, right? I kind of would like to go out while there's still sunlight."   
    
Bruce narrowed his eyes. "Don't make me regret it."   
    
"Okay, okay! I'm shutting up now."   
    
"Good."    
    
Dick threw his arms around his mentor's neck for a quick, sweaty hug and a cheerful 'thank you'. The acrobat jumped to his feet in a blink, flashing him one more bright smile before dashing away from the mats and toward the main area of the cave; the bank of monitors.   
    
Bruce watched him go, an exasperated fond expression on his face. He rose to his feet, grabbing his now empty water bottle and walked after him at a more sedated pace.   
    
"What are you doing?"    
    
"I'm calling Wally," Dick answered without looking up from his cell phone, sitting on the chair before the monitors.   
    
"I thought you said he was spending the weekend with Barry."   
    
"He is, but I bet Uncle Barry wouldn't mind if I borrowed him for a little bit. Besides, there's _no way_ Wally's gonna want to miss this."

* * *

The day was just starting to give way slowly to the night outside when Dick pulled the door of Bruce's study open, poking his head in. "Hey."   
    
Bruce looked up from the papers on his desk, the stern line above his brow relaxing slowly. He invited Dick in with a slight motion of his head, setting his pen down. "Hey. Did you have a good time?"   
    
"It was asterous!" Dick said with a big grin, flopping into the chair at the other side of the desk. "We kinda got kicked out of the theater because Wally didn't shut up, but the movie wasn't that great anyway, so we went for pizza instead.   
    
"Oh! And the girl at the ice cream shop though Supey was cute so she let him try different flavors before ordering. And now I can proudly announce rocky road ice cream is his favorite flavor."    
    
The corner of Bruce's lips curled up minutely at Dick's exuberance. He said nothing-he didn't need to-leaning slightly back on his chair as Dick continued.   
    
"Though Supey really needs a name. You should totally talk with uncle Clark about that so next time we're out we have a name to call him instead of having to call him Supey all the time. It was kind of weird."   
    
"Next time?" Bruce asked with an arched eyebrow.   
    
"Uh, yeah? I think it would be good for the team if we spend more time together outside missions and training. Strengthen our bonds and help improve team dynamics so we can work better together. We'll invite Miss M and Kaldur next time too."    
    
"We'll see."   
    
Dick grinned widely because that answer was more of a 'yes, but' than a 'no, never' in Wayne-speak. It had taken him some time to learn to decipher such complex language, but now he was an expert, just below Alfred's master grade.  
    
"I wonder if Miss M and Kaldur have ever had ice cream." Dick's eyes were gleaming gleeful as he turned to him. "Do you think there's ice cream in Atlantis? Would it be seaweed flavored or something like that? Yuck! That doesn't sound very yummy."   
    
Bruce snorted softly, watching Dick's face scrunched up in a look of disgust.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think this is actually the longest chapter I've written so far here so ... \o/ There's no Conner in this chapter I'm afraid, but I hope you enjoyed it anyway! This was my first time writing Dick/Bruce interaction, so any comments would be awesome too! I hope Bruce doesn't sound too repetitive here or like he's trying to highlight what he's done for Superboy, I just feel like that would be the only way he could make Dick understand his point of view.
> 
> Also, a nice guest going by the name Andie left me a prompt last chapter, so I wanted to say I haven't forgotten and in fact have a few ideas in my head already, so that should be the next chapter.
> 
> Thank you so much for all the amazing comments and for sticking around so far. You guys are awesome :D


	8. DNA

Batman stood silent for a moment, the wind making his dark cape flow behind him. He watched Superboy, sitting on a rock near the beach with the large white wolf he kept as a pet at his side. Gauntleted hands curled into fists at his sides, he walked stealthily toward him.  
   
"Did you know? That I have Luthor's DNA too?" Conner spat even before Batman came into his line of sight; Wolf's soft growls and his hearing giving away the man's presence. He was too angry and frustrated to be intimidated by him right now. "Is that why Superman hates me? Because I'm not just his clone, but Luthor’s too."  
   
"Superman doesn't hate you." Batman replied gruffly, earning a snort from the teenager who didn't even bother to look at him, glaring instead at the ocean waves before him. Bruce couldn't blame him for reacting this way. Finding out about Luthor's _involvement_ only made all of this much worse. In every sense.  
   
"He doesn't," He emphasized. "He just doesn't know how to deal with this. With _you._ So he's decided to stay away until he makes up his mind." Batman's tone made it clear that he didn't agree with that choice, even if he had done his best to accept Clark's decision for the most part. "It is more- complicated than what he first thought. Than what any of us thought."  
   
Conner said nothing. He only moved his hand to pet Wolf's fur when he whined softly.  
   
"I didn't." The words made Superboy look up at him. It took him a moment to understand Batman was answering his question. "The information Robin retrieved from CADMUS the day they found you mentioned the mix of Kryptonian DNA with human DNA, or a DNA very similar to human in your creation, but did not identify the donor."  
   
"Luthor said that Kryptonian DNA was too hard to replicate so they had to fill in the gaps with human DNA," Conner's browns were furrowed as he spoke. "That's why I don't have all of Superman's powers."  
   
Batman nodded. "Kryptonian biology and genetics are far too complex to understand them fully, but with CADMUS' data, and the information provided by Superman, we consider that to be the most likely cause of the discrepancies between your powers and Superman's, as well as your higher resistance when exposed to Kryptonite. Of course, there's no way to confirm it."  
   
Conner shifted his eyes away from Batman's face.  
   
"The tests we made when you joined the team confirmed traces of human DNA in you. I analyzed it, and compare it with DNA of members of the Justice League as a precaution, but found no matches." Bruce hesitated for a second. "With this new information coming to light, I realized new tests that confirmed Luthor is telling the truth. He is the second donor."  
   
Bruce saw Conner's fist clench over the white fur of Wolf as they fell silent.  
   
"What happens now?"  
   
"Nothing," Bruce's voice softened when he was met with the loss, almost desperate look in the boy's face. "Sharing DNA with Lex Luthor, or anyone else, doesn't change who you are. You're your own man, Conner. Regardless of your connection with Superman or Luthor. This doesn't have to change anything unless you want it to."  
   
He could bring up Artemis' situation now. Reassure him of his own value and independence using her as an example, but he would't do that. It was not his secret to tell.  
   
"Luthor- he- he called me son. He admitted he was responsible for starting the cloning projects, and told me Superman would never accept me because I was created by the bad guys, but that he was different." Superboy opened his mouth to tell Batman about the Shields hidden on his quarters, but no words came out. He didn't want to admit to having not only taken and used something from Luthor, but also kept it.  
   
_Damn Luthor!_ Of course he saw the clear gap in the relationship between Superboy and Superman and was exploding it to his benefit. And damn Clark too for even giving him an opening!  
   
The team may be tasked only on covert missions now, but that hadn't stopped Superboy's existence from becoming public, what with him wearing Superman's S-Shield and following in his footsteps; saving and protecting people.  
   
There was already a great deal of speculations flying around about the mysterious teenager, and his relationship -or lack therefore-with Superman, even when they were yet to have a clear shot of Superboy to confirm the rumors of the striking resemblance with the Man of Steel. No one had seen Superman and Superboy working together so far, even when the rest of the _sidekicks_ , as they were called, were known to spend time with their respective mentors, even when most of them were less sociable with the public than Superman.  
   
He could only hope shared DNA wouldn't make Superboy go to Luthor hoping to get the attention and approval Superman had denied him.  
   
"And you're considering his offer." It wasn't a question.  
   
"I don't- I... I don't know."  
   
Batman said nothing in reply, but Conner observed what he could see of the man's face carefully. Noticed the lips stiffened into a faint scowl.  
   
"You don't think I should listen to him."  
   
Bruce had to bite the inside of his cheek to stop himself from blunting out his answer. If there was something he had learned over the years, it was that you _don't_ tell a teenager to not do something. That never went well.  
   
"I think you should do what you think is right," He started. "And if you decide you want to contact Luthor I wouldn't stop you, but there's something you should remember," He waited until he had the boy's full attention before speaking again. "He's a brilliant and manipulative man; calculating. But most of all, he's dangerous. He has made it his is main goal beat Superman, but he has no qualms in destroying anyone that stands between him what he wants. Anyone."  
   
Conner remembered the easy way Luthor had called himself his father, and acknowledge him as his son. The way he met his gaze straight on; no hesitation, no wavering. The smirk on his face and the warm brush of his fingertips on his arm as he took the blackened Shield. But then he remembered the unapologetic way he admitted to having manipulated him all along to do what he wanted him to. The strange gleam in his green eyes when he told him Superman didn't care about him and never will. The way in which with two simple words, he had shut him down and walked away from him leaving him all alone.  
   
He curled his hands into fists as he remembered the way he had kept Match frozen and hidden for so long. A clone just like him; his predecessor. With the fortune of having full Kryptonian powers, but the flaw of being uncontrollable. Deemed a failure and stowed away instead of destroyed; frozen and ready to be taken out of his pot in case he was needed again. Just as he would be too if Aqualad, Kid Flash and Robin had not freed him.  
  
No, Conner decided. He didn't want to have _anything_ to do with Lex Luthor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise, surprise. Bet you weren't expecting to have a new chapter up so soon (or soon at least where I am concerned) but inspiration strike and well, here is it. I have no idea where the idea for this shot came from, it just did and next thing I know, I have the whole story formed in my head, waiting to be written. Can't complain about it, though. But I have to admit I had been contemplating going the 'Batman is the other DNA donor' route, even if I wasn't sure about it yet. But well, who knows? Maybe I will make a chapter dealing with that at some point too, since these are supposed to be unrelated one-shots.
> 
> Also, sorry about promising a certain chapter last time and then coming up with another, but I couldn't resist. The next one should be the prompt from Andie.


	9. Utility Belt - Part 1

Superboy and Robin were sitting on one of the couches in the lounge, the TV showing a movie Conner wasn't paying much attention to. Dick asked if he wanted to see something and he had just shrugged, so it had been up to him to pick something to see to pass the time.   
    
It was just the two of them since Artemis had stayed back with Canary for one-on-one training, and M'gann was in the kitchen trying on a new recipe of something she had seen on one of the shows she liked to watch. Kaldur wasn't in the mountain today and Kid Flash had left some time ago with the promise to return.    
    
Eyes on the screen, Dick groped for a particular compartment in his utility belt. Sure, he had seen the movie before, but it was really good. Besides, he didn't need to look down to know where was exactly what he was looking for anyway. Batman had made sure he could recite by memory alone the _exact_ content of each compartment. After all, he had had to reach for a batarang or gas pellet without taking his eyes off of his opponent one more than one occasion.   
    
Arms crossed across his chest, Superboy glared at the TV. A small robot of some sort was collecting garbage in a desert city filled with it. There was silence. Too much silence. Weren't stuff on TV supposed to have dialogue of some sort? Every time someone turned the TV on there was always so much noise.    
    
There it was. A man's voice. He was listening to it when, out of the corner of his eye, he saw Robin take something small and round out of his belt and lift it to his mouth.   
    
"What's that?"   
    
Robin blinked at him. "This is a cookie."   
    
"A cookie?"   
    
"Yep. You know, a really tasty and sweet baked treat. They are made with flour, eggs, sugar and a lot of other stuff. These I have here are peanut butter cookies."   
    
"I know what a cookie is." Superboy snapped. He hated it when others treated him as if he was dumb. He wasn't.    
    
Robin shrugged, the smirk not leaving his face. He was too used to Superboy's outburst to react to them. And he was also Batman's partner, so, _yeah._ Show no reaction was their specialty. "Okay. Wanna try one?"   
    
"I've eaten cookies before." And not just M'gann's. Kid Flash always had food around, and he liked cookies a lot. Thanks to him, he now knew not all cookies tasted like M'gann's (her cookies were good, but sometimes burned or not fully baked in the center) and that different kinds of cookies existed. He had even shared them with him a few times.    
    
"No, no, no! You may have eaten other random, store-bought cookies of inferior quality -and Miss M's great cookies too- but you haven't tasted these _delicious_ homemade cookies. These are simply the _best_ cookies ever made in the whole world. The king of all cookies." Dick held the cookie in his hand up, almost reverently. "Here. You can eat this one."   
    
Conner looked down at the cookie in his hand. It looked good, and smelled even better. He took a small bite first, before popping the rest into his mouth, chewing slowly. His powers extended to his taste buds, so he could agree with Robin these were by far the best cookies he had ever tasted.   
    
"Well?" Dick asked, an eyebrow arched behind the mask covering his eyes.   
    
"These are really good."   
    
"I know, right? Of course, they taste even better freshly baked, but they're perfect even like this. Oh, wait," Dick reached for the other cookie he kept in his belt. "You can have this other too. It's cool, I can get more from Agent A later. Besides, you can't say no to these cookies."   
    
Superboy accepted the cookie and swallowed it down in just one second. He couldn't imagine how these cookies could taste any better, but he said nothing. He looked back at Robin curiously.   
    
"You keep cookies in your belt?"   
    
"Yep," He said with a grin. "You never know when you may need a little snack. Especially with the super long and boring stakeouts Batman and I had to do a lot of the time."   
    
"I thought it was just to keep weapons and things like that."   
    
"Oh, I have plenty of cool stuff to fight baddies, but there's always space for something sweet. Especially Agent A's cookies."   
    
Superboy eyed the thin yellow belt around Robin's waist. "What do you keep in there?"   
    
The question gave Dick pause. He very deliberately kept his eyes away from the especial compartment that held the kryptonite.   
    
There wasn’t a direct rule about not telling anyone what was in his utility belt exactly, but he knew it wasn't a smart idea. Wally always joked about how B and him carried all kinds of crazy things around in their belts, but had never asked point black about it, not like Superboy. No one had.   
    
Well, he didn't have to show him everything, right? Just a couple of things to satisfy his curiosity.   
    
"I guess I can show you some of it. If you want?"     
    
Superboy nodded, eyes alight with interest.   
    
"Okay, let's see. First, I have batarangs. Lots of them and of different kinds too; I have plain ones," Dick said, taking a bat-shaped shuriken out of his belt and showing it to Superboy. "But there's also explosive and electric batarangs and a bunch others. Also, my grappling gun, smoke and gas pellets, lockpick and a taser. Zip ties, and a couple of handcuffs too, my cell phone and money."   
    
"Why do you need money?" Conner couldn't imagine Robin going to buy something while in costume.   
    
He shrugged. "You never know. I could need something I don't have, and I can't just steal it. Or, what if there was an emergency and I needed to use a payphone? I'll need coins for that."   
    
"But you have a phone and your comm link."   
    
"Well, yeah. But, _what if_ my phone ran out of battery or something and my comm link was damaged during a fight? I'll need another way to contact someone."   
    
"Oh." Conner blinked. He had heard Kid Flash joke many times about the Bats' paranoia and now he was starting to think maybe he was right.   
    
"Hmm, I also carry a periscope, rebreather, binoculars, a spare mask and some glue-"   
    
"Glue?"   
    
Dick smirked. That was the reaction he had been expecting. "Yup. And tape too. I know they don't sound like anything particularly important to carry around, but you wouldn't believe how often I use them. They are very handy."   
    
"How do you keep so many things in there?" That belt was too small for all that. As was Batman's too, and he must carry even more stuff than Robin did.   
    
"Magic."   
    
"Magic?"   
    
"Yep. You know there are many magic users in the JL, right?" Dick went on without waiting for a reply. "Well, a few of them are Batman's friends, so they helped."   
    
Superboy looked down at the utility belt, eyebrows furrowed. He knew he wasn't as good as Superman -and never would be- so he needed to find ways to make up for it somehow. Maybe this could help.   
    
Kryptonite robbed him of his powers, just as Superman's, but it still didn't have the same effect. As long the kryptonite wasn't only a few inches away from his body, it didn't cause him the excruciating pain it seemed to cause Superman. He felt pain, sure, and it grew stronger the closer the kryptonite got, but he could handle it. Still, it left him helpless. But _maybe,_ if he had some kind of weapons like Robin's to throw at bad guys, and at least keep them away from him, the others wouldn't have to worry about covering him.     
    
He may still be out of the fight, but he would be able to hold his own while the others kept fighting and worried about themselves.   
    
"Hey, B. I just convinced Supey of the advantages of having a utility belt. Can he have one?"   
    
Startled, he snapped his head up, turning to look where Batman was standing a couple of feet away behind the couch. Even with his super hearing, he hadn't heard him approach. "What? That's not-"   
    
"Come on now, Supey. You were considering it; don't lie to Batman and Robin. That's totally not asterous."   
    
Superboy scowled, but didn't say anything. He didn't want to lie.   
    
"See!?" Dick cried out, turning back to his mentor. "He totally wants one! Can we give him one?"   
    
Batman looked down at his protégé before turning to Superboy, his expression blank behind the white lenses of his cowl. "If Superboy wishes to, we can discuss the issue later. You have a new mission."   
    
"But Kal and KF aren't here," Robin pointed out.   
    
"Kaldur arrived moments ago, and Kid Flash has been notified and should be here soon."   
    
"Alright. Guess we'll have to finish watching Wall-E another time, then," Robin said with a cheeky grin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow! I still cannot believe how far this fic has come. Seriously, thank you so much everyone for all the kudos and bookmarks, but especially the comments. It makes my day hearing from each of you with every chapter.
> 
> Yes, more Robin-Superboy interaction. I had so much fun writing them the last time that I decided to try again. And of course I had to mention Alfred's cookies again. They are legendary. Also, this chapter is dedicated to [blue-hart](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/3967491/blue-hart), who a while ago told me she/he would like to see Superboy with a utility belt. I know it's not exactly Superboy with a utility belt here, but I hope you liked it anyway.


	10. Utility Belt - Part 2

"Alright, boys, girls," Canary called once Kid Flash was back on his feet. "We're done for today. Good work everyone."  
  
As they started walking to where they had put their things, Superboy noticed Batman moved for the first time since he had stepped into the mission room.  
  
Batman arrived at the mountain halfway into the training session, making the eyes of everyone in the room turn to him, and even Black Canary and Artemis paused in their combat. He said nothing, merely sent a curt nod in Canary's direction, which prompted her to continue and made Robin relax where he was standing. He walked silently to the opposite side from where the team was standing and settled to watch the session.  
  
Conner turned to look at Robin, surprised the youngest member of the team was still with them rather than with his mentor now that the training was over. His attention was pulled away when Artemis complained loudly about Kid Flash eating again. A chocolate bar this time.  
  
"Superboy."  
  
The familiar growl made Kid Flash trail off mid-sentence and the group paused on their steps. Conner turned slowly to look back at Batman, but the man said nothing, eyes hidden behind white lenses trailed straight at his face in silent command.  
  
Superboy lowered his eyes, hands curling into fists at his sides. He hadn't done so well during training, but he had kept his temperament in check this time. Mostly. Either way, he hadn't done worse than the rest of the team, so he didn't know why Batman thought he deserved a personal lecture now.  
  
Turning back to the team, Superboy got a warm smile from M'agan, a small nod from a frowning Artemis, thumbs up from Kid Flash (which, according to the speeder, were a sign of support or something like that) Kaldur put a hand on his shoulder for a second, a familiar calm expression of his face. Robin just grinned, a strange kind of grin.  
  
Robin acted strangely a lot, so Conner didn't pay much attention to his reaction. He walked toward Batman, flickering his gaze to where Canary was also watching the scene as he tried to prepare himself not to react to whatever Batman was going to say.  
  
Even when Superboy reached his side Bruce said nothing, turning instead to glare at the rest of the team, the order to leave loud and clear even in the silence. They looked away and hurried along, all except _Robin._ Of course.  
  
Superboy shifted his weight from foot to foot, watching Batman's glare deepen gradually somehow as Robin's smirk grew little by little. They said nothing, just kept looking at each other for a long time before Robin huffed and turned around, walking away without a word. Superboy blinked, confused about what had just happened.  
  
"I see you have learned to adapt better to Canary's training and are starting to listen to her advice."  
  
"I, uh, yeah."  
  
"Good. You still have a lot to learn before you reach an acceptable level of control and combat skills."  
  
Batman saw Superboy clench his jaw and curl his hands into fists at his sides as he glared daggers at the floor, but the clone didn't say anything. Bruce nodded in approval. It was progress too, and a very important one. Before, the clone would have snapped; yelling or even physically attacking someone when hearing something he didn't like.  
  
"Robin assured me you're interested in acquiring a utility belt," Batman said after a moment of tense silence. "Yet, you have not said anything."  
  
Conner blinked in surprise, not only by the sudden change of topic but also by the topic itself. He hadn't known he was supposed to talk to him about that.  
  
Something he had learned early on-even if he didn't fully understand it-was that sometimes what people said wasn't what they mean. Batman generally gave direct answers to everyone so he hadn't been sure what his comment about 'discussing it later' really meant. And, when the man hadn't brought it up again in the next two weeks, Conner had simply assumed it was his way of dismissing the idea.  
  
"I didn't ask him for one or anything. I- We were just talking about his belt the other day."  
  
"His belt." Bruce echoed.  
  
"Yes. He told me about some of the things he kept there and I was just thinking about it. About how having stuff like that could be useful."  
  
"For you." It wasn't exactly a question, but it wasn't firm enough to be considered an affirmation either. Bruce never doubted Dick's word about this, but he had wanted to discuss the matter with Superboy before making a decision.  
  
"Yes. I was thinking about the times when I get exposed to kryptonite. My powers are gone then and I don't have any way to attack or protect myself." Superboy looked away, eyebrows furrowed. "It distracts the others."  
  
Bruce regarded the teenager before him. He could hear himself telling Clark not too long ago that the issue with Superboy was just about teaching him the basics on how to control his powers. No special tricks or advanced techniques. Just control, plain and simple. He also remembered Clark's resolve about not wanting to give him the tools to beat them later.  
  
He could not say he trusted Superboy. Not with so many blanks yet to be filled about his creation and with so little time of treating the clone. It was absurd to even consider the notion.  
  
Trust was earned and Superboy hadn't earned his yet. But he hadn't done anything to make him doubt his intentions either. And he couldn't deny he was _mildly_ impressed by the fact Superboy was thinking about additional elements to use in battle when just months ago, he claimed that with his powers he didn't need combat training.  
  
It was a remarkable progress in such short time.  
  
Bruce had been thinking about the possibility since Dick mentioned it, of course, and had seen no problem in providing him with tools for him to try if he wanted to. In fact, without Superman's heat vision or flight, it could be _useful_ if he learned to handle weapons to attack at a distance. It would be tricky, teaching him to handle weapons while he still had his powers, but it could be done.  
  
And even if he would be more resourceful, kryptonite would come in handy if they ever needed to stop him. Without his powers, they would face someone skilled but of average or lowered strength.  
  
"There are several other instances where you could benefit from the use additional tools. Even with your powers."  
  
Superboy nodded hesitantly. He wasn't sure if he was supposed to say something right now. He still wasn't used to Batman's long silences and the stares that made him uncomfortable, but he still didn't look away.  
  
"Do you think you could benefit by using additional weapons?"  
  
"I don't know," Conner replied after a moment of thought. "I think- I'll like to think I would."  
  
"And you want a belt. Like Robin's."  
  
Superboy thought about denying it, but in the end decided against it. The worst it could happen was that Batman said he couldn't have one. "Not if it's a problem. I just thought I could be more efficient in battle with it."  
  
After a moment of silence, Batman gave a curt nod. "You can rejoin the rest of your teammates."  
  
Conner watched him for a second before nodding slowly and turning to leave. He was even more confused now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There was some interest in seeing more from the last chapter and inspiration strike so I decided to write a second part. 
> 
> And no utility belt for Superboy yet I'm afraid, but you know Batman. He never does anything without thinking it through. But we all know there's a little bird that wouldn't leave him forget about this, even if he wanted to. ISo, there will be one more chapter to wrap this up, which I hope to have up soon. Thank you again for all the support and I hope you enjoyed it!


	11. Utility Belt - Part 3

Bruce nodded politely in Dinah's direction as he walked past her on his way toward the lounge area of Mount Justice. The team didn't have a mission today, and their training with Canary ended hours ago, so he expected to find them there.

He had been right, and the sight that greeted him almost made him smile. Almost.

The team -minus Artemis, who had left after training- was in the entertainment room, sitting together in the pair of couches placed there. It was plainly obvious mental detection or super hearing had been involved because the TV was turned off, and they were sitting together in total silence, very deliberately not looking his way.

All except Robin, of course, who turned to look at him with a grin.

It was Superboy who alerted the team of Batman's arrival. He had been listening out around the mountain after getting bored with Robin and Kid Flash's argument about the movie they were watching when he heard Batman's designation announcing his arrival.

Wally had jumped out of his seat as soon as he said the words, using his speed to disappear the half empty cans of soda and the bowls of popcorn they had been sharing before dropping back on the couch at the clone's side and scrambling for the remote control to turn the TV off just seconds before the Batman appeared.

"Superboy," Batman called without preamble, ignoring everyone else. "Come with me."

The clone looked up at him when his name was called and stood up dutifully, shooting a quick look down at his team. They not only looked at Superboy, but also exchanged looks among each other. Bruce wouldn't be surprised if they were using M'gann's telepathic link to communicate.

Maybe Bruce should be annoyed about that, but he wasn't. It was good to see they had developed such a tight relationship in a relatively short among of time, even if, like with everything, there was also a potential danger of them becoming too close. He pushed the thought away.

Conner walked slowly as he tried to remember if he had done anything wrong. He was so focused on doing that that he didn't notice someone walking behind him until Batman spoke.

"I called only Superboy."

"I know," Robin replied lightly. "I'm coming of my own free will."

Bruce looked down at Dick, barely stopping himself from crossing his arms over his chest. He said nothing, his posture making it very clear this wasn't up to discussion. Dick knew him well enough to pick at that without him having to say the words, especially since he already knew what this was about.

He needed to have a serious talk with Superboy, and he couldn't afford to have Dick there to distract Superboy or make light of this.

"Fine! I'll just hack into the security cameras later."

Even though he knew the lenses of the cowl would cover it, he still refrained from rolling his eyes. He had no doubt Dick was going to do just that. That may or may not have influenced on his election of the place where he was going to talk with Superboy. There was no surveillance in the living quarters, after all.

Of course, there was the cowl's recording, but it would be his choice to let Dick see it or not. Maybe.

Batman walked away without a word, confident Superboy would follow after him. Annoyingly enough, he had no doubt the team had started interrogating Robin as soon as he was far enough away. Mostly Wally, even if Miss Martian and Aqualad must be curious too.

Superboy walked after Batman, brow furrowing further when rather than led him to the workout room he walked toward the living quarters instead. Batman walked into one of the empty rooms, motioning for him to step inside as well and close the door.

"Here," Bruce said, handling the black box he had picked from the bed to Superboy.

"What is it?" Conner asked, eyeing the box even as he took it.

"Open it," Batman growled.

Bruce kept his eyes trained on Conner's face as he worked to open the box. He saw the moment his eyes widened as he recognized the item inside, his head snapping up just a second later to look at him.

"This is for me?" Conner asked tentatively, flickering his eyes down to the white belt in the box (almost an exact replica of Batman and Robin's) before looking up again. White wasn't the color he would have picked, but he didn't really care about that.

"It is, as long as you're willing to make a serious commitment."

Lips pressed together, Superboy nodded determinedly.

"The most important rule is that you cannot use the belt until I tell you otherwise. Not in the field and not during training with the team. Are we clear?"

"Yes," Conner was quick to agree.

Batman tipped his head. He regarded the boy before him. "At the moment, Robin and I have access to the belt's system too, but once your training moves forward, only you will be able to handle it."

Superboy nodded.

"This isn't a gift, it's a responsibility," Bruce told him plainly. "As such, you will have to undergo training to learn how to use it properly and not turn it into a distraction or disadvantage instead. I will be taking care of that training, and will reserve the right to suspend it if I deemed it necessary."

Conner furrowed his brow, not really happy about that last part. "That's not fair."

Batman glared at him, but he did address the issue. "I spoke with Black Canary about this, and we agree it could be an asset, both for you and the team. However, the training you're currently undergoing for control and combat takes priority and cannot be suspended nor altered, so any other training would be considered additional work that can be discontinued.

"Nerveless, your performance in the base training with Canary and I would determinate how the belt training develops. If the additional workload starts to affect your efficiency, the training would be suspended, at least temporally, until that change."

Superboy glared up at him for a moment, but he eventually nodded. He didn't like it, but there was nothing he could do to change it if he wanted to keep the belt.

Bruce nodded curtly. "Like I told you before, the benefits of handling weapons could extend past an encounter with Kryptonite, but since that's the more pressing matter, we would start with it."

Conner watched him warily. "So you're going to use Kryptonite on me?"

"No. We have a special training room conditioned with red sun lamps in the Watchtower. It doesn't have the same effect as the Kryptonite, but learning to handle weapons without your powers would be a good start."

Superboy blinked slowly, eyebrow knitting together. "I would be allowed into the Watchtower?" From what he had heard from the others, access to the League's headquarter wasn't something obtained lightly. No one in the team had access as far as he knew.

"Under my supervision and with an imitated access, yes."

The clone almost rolled his eyes. _Of course._

"We will start the training one day per week, and adjust it accordingly."

"We can start now."

Bruce pressed his lips together to stop a twitch of amusement from showing. "Your willingness to work is commendable, but I have another commitment shortly. We will start on Monday," He added. "For now, you can familiarize yourself with the objects you will find inside. You can ask for Robin's assistance, or perhaps Red Tornado's if he's available, or you can do it on your own."

Conner nodded, running the tip of his fingers carefully over the white material.

"You cannot use the belt, but you can mention or show it to the rest of the team if you want to," Batman conceded after a moment of watching him.

Conner considered that for a moment before deciding against it. As much as he wanted to show the belt to the team, he didn't want them to know about it in case he didn't get to keep it. He didn't want them to know he had failed.

"Very well," Batman said. He wasn't surprised by the negative answer. Had expected it even. "You can keep the belt in your quarters, or you can speak with Canary about placing it on one of the safe lockers in the workout area."

"Here," Conner blurted, looking away from Batman's lenses. "I want to keep it in my room. _Please."_

"It is your decision, but you cannot use it, even by yourself."

The clone nodded, looking back down at the belt in his hands.

"The white is a base color," Bruce added, pausing just as he had been about to open the door. "You will be able to change it to the color of your choice later on."

With that last comment, Batman left, dark cape billowing behind him and the corner of his lip twitching up for a second.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, Batman just can't make things simple. Is anyone surprised? Anyway, I'm very sorry it took me so long to post this. The truth is, I've had this chapter written for weeks now, but I wasn't entirely happy with the way it came out (I'm still not, btw) but I know I already let you guys wait long enough, and so I decided to post it anyway. So please let me know what you think!
> 
> Also, this was the last part of this small arc, at least for a while. I received a few comments asking to see Superboy using the belt, and also about Superman's reaction to it, and while I do want to write that at some point, I have other plot bunnies I want to work on right now, so there's that. 
> 
> But, thank you very much for reading and commenting!


	12. Sharing

"You didn't tell me you were coming down," Dick accused, hands firmly planted on his hips as he stood a few feet away from where Bruce was working in the Batcomputer, already wearing Batman's suit minus the cowl.

"You were studying," Bruce replied without turning around.

After having dinner together, Bruce retreated to his study to make a few work-related phone calls and Dick had gone upstairs to study for tomorrow's test. It wasn't until he noticed the late hour than he went down to Bruce's study only to find it empty and then rushed to the cave.

Bruce said nothing else, so Dick huffed, heading toward the changing area. He walked toward the mats once he was wearing his Robin suit, stretching and working out all over the place, warming up while Bruce kept typing.

Even as he worked Bruce had been keeping an eye on Dick, so he wasn't surprised when his little bird appeared behind him in the blink of an eye, watching over his shoulder as he continued working.

Dick tilted his head slightly. It looked like Bruce was putting his Bat agenda up-to-date. Blue eyes widened when they stumbled over Bruce's plan for two particular days.

"You're going to the mountain two days next week? Asterous!" Dick exclaimed gleefully as he hopped on the desk, legs dangling back and forth as he looked back at his guardian. Sure, B went to the mountain all the time for briefings, to assign missions, and a lot of other things, but he never stayed long.

Bruce only grunted in answer -an affirmative grunt- as he continued typing.

A grin started to spread over Dick's face. He _loved_ his teammates, he really did, but it was a bit tiresome how much they worried and tried to protect him just because he had no powers (even if he could admit Artemis had it worse, being human and a girl too). So, a training session with Batman on Mount Justice, where the whole team could see it would be would be the perfect way to show them how good he was at what he did.

_Pleeease!_ He hadn't been the first protégé -and Batman's protégé at that- for nothing.

"What are you going to do at the mountain?"

Already working on something else, it took Bruce a moment to reply. "I need to install a few upgrades to the system and I have training scheduled with Superboy."

Dick hummed. "You haven't told me how Supey's training is going, you know."

Bruce made a face, making Dick giggled. It was so weird seeing that while Bruce was wearing the suit. The older man sent him a look but didn't question the strange reaction. He most likely knew what had caused it.

"It's a work in progress, but at least he's waiting until Canary and I are finished pointing out what he did wrong and correcting it before losing his temper." Bruce let out a sigh, rubbing a hand across his face. "We need to do something about all that anger."

Dick snorted. "Tell me about it,"

"I was hoping to teach him some meditation techniques, but-"

"But his super hearing doesn't make it easy."

Bruce grunted affirmatively.

"Have you thought about having Kal around during his training?" Dick asked after a moment.

Bruce looked up at his ward, eyebrows knitted together. "Aqualad?"

"Yeah. Who else? He's actually pretty good at calming Supey down when he starts yelling and hitting stuff." Dick finished with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Or," Bruce countered with an arched eyebrow. "Being called out in front of one of his teammates could make things worse."

Dick pondered that for a moment. "Maybe, but I don't think that's likely. Kal always seems to know the best way to explain things to Superboy without making him angry. Or at least not very angry."

Bruce only grunted in reply, turning back to the computer. Anyone else would feel annoyed or angry by the dismissal, thinking that grunt was a 'Shut up. That idea sucks' kind of grunt, but Dick knew better. That was a 'Hmm, I'll think about it' kind of grunt.

It was actually pretty easy to tell the difference once you got used to it, really.

"And what else are you going to do?" Dick asked nonchalantly.

"Aqualad and I need to have a talk."

"Uh-uh. Is he in trouble?"

"Not at all," Bruce denied, without looking away from the screen. "But with Aqualad assuming the leadership of the team, we have to discuss some things at length."

Dick dropped his gaze, looking down at his hands as he fingered with the edge of his cape. He knew Kal was going to be a very capable and great leader, and friend, but he couldn’t help but feel _something_ seeing him stepping up to the leadership when, as Batman's protégé and the most  experienced, he felt like everyone -even himself- had expected him to take the role.

"Oh," Dick said belatedly, making Bruce turn to look at him. "And what else?"

Bruce watched Dick for a moment, pondering whether or not he should address Dick's issues about Aqualad becoming the team leader. He didn't think even _Dick_ know what really bothered him about the situation, so perhaps he should give it some time.

"Flash is going to the mountain to supervise a training simulation for Kid Flash. I need to be present while it runs to take notes of anything that should be adjusted."

Dick nodded slowly, grateful Bruce had let his strange behavior go because he wasn't delusional enough to think he hadn't noticed.

"And once that's done?"

"Artemis and Canary asked me a few weeks ago assistance to help her expand her knowledge in investigative work since that's not Green Arrow's forte."

"Are you also teaching M'gann how to cook too, by any chance?" Dick asked a touch bitterly.

"Of course not. I'm sending Alfred to the mountain for that," Bruce replied dryly. There was no laugh or snort of amusement from the boy at his side, so he looked up, blinking at the furrowed brow he found on the boy's face.

"Dick?"

"What?"

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing! Nothing's wrong. Everything is asterous, don't you see?" Dick hopped down from the desk, taking a couple of steps away from him. "I just thought _maybe_ we could spend some time together while you were in the mountain, you know, spar a bit or something, but you're too busy for that, _obviously."_

The corner of Bruce's lips twitched. "Dick ... Are you jealous?"

"What!? No! Of course not. Why would I be jealous? Pfff," Dick crossed his arms across his chest, turning his face away from Bruce.

Bruce whirled in his chair, pausing a moment as he tried to decide the best way to express what he wanted to say. "Do you know why I'm doing all this? Why I'm helping Superboy and the rest of the team?"

The boy shrugged, still not looking at him.

"I'm doing it for you."

Dick's head snapped up. "For me? But I didn't ask you to do all that!"

"I know," Bruce agreed with a small smile. "But it's the only way I can protect you now."

"Uh, what?"

"You know how much I hate the fact you go out in the field when I can't be there to protect you," Dick opened his mouth to talk, but Bruce lifted a hand to stop him. "I know you have to step out from under my shadow, and it's important that you learn to work with people whose first priority isn't your safety, and to communicate with others rather than act and expect them to know what you're doing.

"I'm grateful because you have the team to watch your back while you learn and grown, but I still worry about you. _All the time,"_ Bruce stressed. "I know I can't follow you everywhere to make sure I'm there if you need me, but I can make sure everyone in the team it's at their best to watch your back when I can't, so that's what I'm doing."

"Oh," Dick blinked rapidly a couple of times. Bruce wasn't one to talk about emotions and feelings like, _ever,_ but on the very rare occasions that he did, he never failed to make Dick cry, or at least hold back the tears if he was lucky, like now.

"And to answer your question, yes."

"Huh?"

"Yes, I can make space in my very _busy_ schedule to whip the floor with you in the mountain."

Dick let out a shaky breath, throwing Bruce a grateful look for the very obvious diversion. "Ha! You wish, old man."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, more daddy!Bats. A few months ago someone asked for some jealous Dick, and well, I just couldn't resist. I realized I went a bit overboard with Bruce's help to the rest of the team, but I wanted to give Dick a very good reason to be jealous and a bit angry, not to mention I love the idea of Batman interacting with the team, even if I haven't written any of that.
> 
> Wow! I honestly can't believe this fic already went past 300 kudos, and so many comments and bookmarks too! You're all amazing! I know this fic had a bit of a rough start, and it took me a while to have a somewhat regular update schedule but thank you so much for staying around, and I hope you keep enjoying this as much as I do :D


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